[WSF-Discuss] Genesis of Maghreb Social Forum

[CACIM]

 Why Social Forum? by *Kamal Lahbib*
 *(22 October 2008)

@ http://www.cetri.be/spip.php?article896&lang=en
*
 Genesis of Maghreb Social Forum:

*From Rabat to Barcelona and From Bamako to Bouznika*

The first call for a North African Social Forum was launched by
representatives of civil society Tunisian and Moroccan at the second edition
of the social forum in Morocco in July 2004.

Since World Social Forum in 2005 at Porto Alegre, contacts between civil
society actors of the three Maghreb countries and the Maghreb emigration in
France have increased.

The initiative of organizing world Social Forum in 2006 in Morocco have
failed (for essentially political reasons, particularly because of blockage
of the Moroccan authorities with a pretext insufficient time to organize the
event), setting up a preparatory session was endorsed. All those involved
felt it was too early to organize the Maghreb Social Forum itself, partly
because of organizational and political gridlock.

To better prepare for the mobilization of social movements and networks and
adapt to the constraints imposed by states in the region, the initiators of
this process are then made the choice to proceed in stages, organizing,
before the Maghreb Social Forum, preparatory session, which took place in
late January 2006 at Bouznika in Morocco. Based on the achievements of two
editions of the Moroccan Social Forum, the goal of the Maghreb Social Forum
is to live alongside local social forums, an open space for the
confrontation of ideas and democratic debate to enable the development of
concrete proposals articulated for effective action to bring about a
"Maghreb peoples."

Organized at Bouznika, 27 to 29 January 2006, the Preparatory Assembly
Maghreb Social Forum was a major step in the process of building this
momentum. Done unprecedented in the history of social movements and civil
society in the region, more than 600 alterglobalists from Tunisia, Algeria,
Mauritania, Morocco, Saharan civil society and North African associations in
Europe and their international guests were given the opportunity to share in
non-formal space and to reflect together on concrete initiatives to
transform societies deeply in the Maghreb and win the bet of peace and
democracy.

To conclude the event, representatives of all the dynamics present at
Bouznika boarded of Rabat on the Bouregreg River in "pateras"
circumstantial, in tribute to the thousands of young North African and
sub-Saharan dead in the Strait, cut by despair for believing in a better
future on the other side of the Mediterranean. In memory of these victims of
liberalism wild, these beautiful breakaway "pateras the dignity" has paved
the way towards the construction of another Maghreb: that of Peoples.
The players Maghreb Social Forum: united around another Maghreb

*Towards a Maghreb of Peoples*

The project initiators,the Maghreb dimension is not a hollow concept or a
vision. It is not only a story broken by the old colonial wars, but it is an
economic necessity to face the offensive European and U.S. attempts to enter
into bilateral agreements with countries in the region. The failure of the
states in the region to achieve unity of the Maghreb regional conflicts and
put us under an obligation to search for alternatives to create a space
Maghreb peace, prosperity and democracy.

The Maghreb has become a gateway to the illusory and so-called European
Eldorado. Aware that the association agreements and free trade established
with the Maghreb countries have been conditioned to the participation of the
latter's policy of "outsourcing" of controlling migration flows and aware of
the risk of increasing influx of sub-Saharan migrants who will remain for a
long time in transit Maghreb with consequences for development of
intolerance and xenophobia, participants at the Assembly of Bouznika have
focused not only on the participation of migrants in the construction of A
Maghreb peoples, but also on the need to defend the rights of migrants in
host countries

A Maghreb with an international dimension

The approach of Moroccan Social Forum is an example to follow in expanding
the dynamic in North Africa, Mediterranean, Middle East and the rest of the
world. It is for the success Maghreb Social Forum five challenges:

   - Linking the local dynamics. The Maghreb Social Forum must be part of
   the momentum of Porto Alegre to establish an international movement of
   resistance to the global capitalism


   - The articulation South / South: open up and integrate the dynamics of
   the Horn of conflicts (Palestine, Iraq…)


   - The Maghreb is an integral part of Africa, is to renew ties broken by
   colonisation and local despots to enter the Maghreb in the major challenges
   of Africa: the struggle for dignity and equitable sharing of wealth And the
   fight against famine, fratricidal wars, mounted ideologies of identity,
   access to care and basic services…


   - Ensuring the presence of women in the Maghreb construction process. The
   challenge remains, however, about the willingness of women's associations to
   be involved in the movement.


   - The challenge of social anchor and expanding the various social
   dynamics of the region

The fragility of the process

Originally scheduled for May 2007, the Maghreb Social Forum was postponed to
January 2008 at the invitation of the WSF for a global day of mobilization.

However, the Mauritanian government, which has resulted in a first time his
agreement, he retracted and requested the postponement to a later date.

Given the arbitrary regimes in place and the limited spaces of freedom, the
path is therefore long, tortuous and mined to achieve Another Maghreb. But
our belief is that it is possible. Under this process, the Social Forum
hosts in Morocco 25-26 and 27 January 2008 a demonstration Maghreb tour to
Africa on the theme "March of social movements to a Maghreb between peoples
and for a Better World".
 The opinions expressed and the arguments employed in this document are the
responsibility of the author and do not necessarily express the views of the
CETRI.
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